Fine-fuel-feeding apparatus.



A8. 827,828. A PATENTED AUG. 7, 1908.

G. L. SWIFT.

`FINE FUELy PBEDING APPARATUS.

V APPLICATION FILED MAR.20. 1905.

TED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

Specification of Letters fatent.

Patented Au`g'. 7, 1906.

Application ned umh 20,1905. serial No. 250,996. r f

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE vL. SWIFT, a

. citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and Stateof Illinois,'have invented a new and useful Fine- Fuel-Feeding Apparatus, of which the following'is a specification.

This invention relates to iine-fuel-feeding apparatus.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction of fine-fuel-feeding apparatus which is simple and efficient and wherein the feed may be adjustabl regulated.

A further object of t e invention is to provide a iine-fuel-feeding apparatus mechanically operated and noiseless in the operation thereof.

Other objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter.

The invention consists, substantially, in the construction, combination, location, and arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings7 and finally pointed out in the appended claims. j

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and to the various views and reference-signs appearing thereon, Figure 1 is a` view in side elevation of a ne-fuel-feedin apparatus, illustrating a construction em odying the principles of `my invention. Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the same, parts broken 0E, parts brokenv out, and parts in vertical section.

The same part is designated by the same reference-sign wherever it occurs throughout both views.

In Patent No. 558,875, issued April 21,

1896, and reissued April 3, 1900, No. 11,816,

to Georg I-Iilliger, is set forth, described, and claimed a construction of apparatus for feeding coal-dust employing a rotating brush arranged to o erate within a hop er and in con nection wit shaking devices 'or feeding fine fuel, such as coal-dust, to a furnace-chamber,

and in Patent No. 764,693, granted to me July 12, 1904, is shown, described, and claimed a construction Vof fuel-feeding apparatus relating to the same general character of invention.

The present invention relates to an appa- 'I'atus of this nature, and is articularly designed to regulate the feed o ne fuel to the action of the brush for delivery into the furnace-chamber. j

Referring-i150 the accompanying drawings, reference-sign A designates a shaft suitably journaled and driven' and upon which is mounted a brush, (indicated generally by reference-signB.) The brush B is arranged to rotate adjacent the delivery-mouth of a hopper,

the outerwall of the ho per being indicated by dotted lines at C and) the rear wall of the hopper being indicated by dotted lines at D in Fig. 1. The' fine fuel to be delivered into the furnace-chamber may be supplied to the hopper in any suitable or convenient manner, and in accordance with the principles of my invention I arrange suitable devices within the hopper to regulate the supply of fine fuel contained therein to the action of the brush.

lTo this end I employ a shaker-frame E, constructed with pintles F, suitably journaled in the end plates G of the hopper. U on the projecting end of one of the pintles (only one of such intlessbeing shown) is adjustably clam e a yoke II. This yoke is rovided wit forked arms J K, arrange to straddle over an eccentric L on shaft A,

whereby rotary motion imparted to shaft A` imparts a rocking movement to the yoke I-I, and hence also to the -pintle`F and to shakerframe E, thereby imparting a vibratoryr movement to-the said shaker-frame. This shaker-'frame is arranged to form the bottom Wall of the space within the hopper in which the fuel is received, and, preferably and as shown in Fig. 1, the supporting-surface of said frame is rounding and downwardly inclined in the normal position thereof.

If desired and in order to revent packing of the fuel within the space above the shakerframe E, I provide said shaker-frame with pins or projections M, arranged to project upwardly from the surface of said frame and into the bed of fuel contained inthe hopper. The outer edge 'of the shaker-frame is designed to normally project slightly beneath an overhanging lip portion (indicated at N) of the upper portlon O of the outer wall or side plate C of the hopper. with the lower or delivery edge of the shakerframe E is a late P. -This plate isv provided with pintles llt, arranged to extend through the end plates G of the hopper, and suitab y and adjustably clamped upon the projecting Cooperating end of 011e of the pintles R isa lever-arm S, whereby the )late P may be rocked or swung into ad justab e positionwith reference to the lower or delivery edge of shaker-frame E. A bolt T, operating through an elongated curved slot A in lever S, serves to hold said lever, and hence also the plate P, in adjusted position With reference to the lower edge and the )lane of vibration of the shaker-frame.

I desired and in order to take up any wear on the parts and to prevent chattering and pounding during the operation of the device, a s rin tension may be imposed upon the sha car-frame, normally operating to maintain the shaker-frame in one limit of its rocking or swinging movement. I have indicated such construction in dotted lines in Fig. 1, B designating a spring arranged to bear at one end against a lug C on the shaker-frame and at the opposite end against an adjusting-sleeve D', suitably mounted in the front plate C of the hopper.

It is believed that the operation will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. Rotation is imparted to shaft A to rotate the brush B. By reason of the cam L engaging the yoke-arms K L a vibratory motion is imparted to the yoke H, thereby rocking or vibrating shakerframe E. By suitably adjusting the plate P with reference to the lower edge of the shaker-frame an adjustable clearance between the lower edge of said plate P and the.

adjacent edge of the shaker-frame isiprovided, which clearance is increased and decreased during the vibratory movements of the shaker-frame, thereby permitting the fine fuel to be delivered from the shaker-frame and to fall upon the rotary brush B, by which such fuel is delivered into the furnacechamber. I have found in practice and especially where the fine fuel 1s delivered into the furnace-chamber in dry form that more difficulty has been experienced in suitably and properly regulating the feed of such el to the brush, and the use of wet fine fuel 1s disadvantageous and should be avoided. I have found, however, that a construction embodying thev rinciples above described provides for an efiicient regulation of the feed of fine fuel in the dry state and avoids the necessity of employing wet line fuel and the attendant disadvantages and objectionable features thereof, and since the plate P is adjustable or may be ad'ustably rocked to the desired position it will be observed that an adjustable clearance is maintained between the late P and the shaker-frame, thereby enab ing the feed of the fine fuel to be controlled and regulated according to the requirements and conditions.

Having now set forth the object and nature of my invention and a construction embodying the princ'ples thereof, what I claim as new and useful, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a fine-fuel-feeding apparatus, a hopper, a brush journaled to rotate therein, an oscillating shaker-frame arran ed within the hopper to support the fine el delivered thereto, a'plate coperating with the shakerframe and means for adjusting said plate relatively to the shaker-frame.

2. In a ine-fuel-feeding a paratus, a hopper, a rotary brush journale to rotate there- 1n, an oscillating shaker-frame arranged within the hopper to form a support for the fuel contained therein, means for oscillating said frame, a plate coperatin with said shakerframe, and an adjustingever connected to said plate, whereby the position of'said plate -relatlve to said shaker-frame may be adjusted.

3. In a fine-fuel-feeding a paratus, a hopper, a rotary brush journale to rotate there- 1n, a shaker-frame arranged within the hopper to support the fuel supplied to the hopper, the supporting-surface of said frame eX- tending across the hopper and being downwardly inclined, `means for vibrating said shaker-frame, and a stationa adjustable plate cooperating with the ine ed portion of the sufpportinU-surface of said shakerframe to orm a delivery-clearance for the fuel from said frame.

4. In a fine-fuel-feedin applaratus, a hopper, a rotary shaft journa ed t erein, a brush carried by said shaft, an eccentric mounted on said shaft, an oscillating shaker-frame arranged within the hopper to form a support for the fuel contained therein, said sha rerframe having a pintle, a yoke connected to said pintle and forked to straddle said eccentric, and an adjustable stationary plate coo erating with the supporting-surface of said s iaker-frame.

5. In a ine-fuel-feeding apparatus, a hopper onewall thereof being .provided with a vprojecting portion, a shaker-frame arranged therein to form a support for the fuel contained in the ho per, one edge of the shaker standing beneatli) the proj ecting portion, pins or projections extending above the sup ortin -surface of said shaker-frame, an adljustab e plate coperating with the supportin surface of the shaker-frame to adjustab y regulate a feeding-clearance for the fuel, a brush, means for operating the same, and means for vibrating said shaker-frame.

6. In a fine-fuel-feeding apparatus, a hopper, a shaft journaled therein and carrying a rush, an eccentric mounted on said shaft, a shaker-frame journaled to vibrate within said hopper, a yoke connected to said shakerframe and having a forked end straddled IOO IIO

-s27,s2s f Y s over the eccentric, e sprinubearing against In Witness whereof I have lhereunto set my the 'shaker-frame, pins or gers carried by hand, this 16th dayo March, 1905, in the said shaker-heme, a plate ooperating -With presence of the subscribing Witnesses.

the shaker-frame to provide a, feeding-clean GEORGE L. SWIFT. 5 ance for the fuel, an arm connected to said Witnesses:

plete, and means forsecuring said arm in ad- C. H. SEEM,

)usted position. S. E. DARBY 

